Collapse of Our Ramadan

The present Ramadan has been tarnished by riots and mass violence that led to casualties. The spirituality of Ramadan as a month full of blessings and forgiveness from God that should emit a solemn aura and reverence for worship turned out not to be able to reduce anarchy and mass anger from a number of parties who rejected the election results.

Therefore, the sacredness of Ramadan has been littered with the profane politics-power desire that had made the win-or-lose ideology a life-or-death problem.

The problem is that the legal mechanism that is available to resolve electoral disputes has been considered by certain parties to be simply a part of a political gimmick. As a result, the discourse about using “people power” to restore popular sovereignty was believed to be the only way to overthrow the evil and injustice of the ruler.

However, whatever the reason, anarchism and riots that can disrupt public order must be dealt with firmly in the framework of just, civilized and humane law enforcement.

Agitation and provocation

Initially it started with the immaturity of a number of elites in responding to the results of the political contest. Unfortunately, a number of elites even provoked – directly or indirectly – the outbreak of the riots. Instead of advocating calm and peace, those elites worsened the situation with a series of provocative and agitated statements through social media. This fact shows that the maturity and reliability of democracy among our elites is still far from what is expected.

The maturity of the elites should be reflected in their awareness and acceptance of democracy as the only game in town. Fully developed political elites certainly understand this adage with all its integrity and consequences. They should fully accept the principles of a healthy democracy, such as fair play, obedience, law enforcement, justice and the like.

Consequently, the recognition of victory and defeat in a political contest is simply normal. Moreover, democratic instruments must be used as a mechanism for resolving disputes over political contests.

The problem is that some of our political elites have failed to interpret and transform the trilogy of democratic values as initiated by Amartya Sen: instrumental value, intrinsic value and constructive value. Most of our elite have just stopped at the instrumental value of democracy, using democracy as a tool to achieve their goals (read: power).

Meanwhile, the other two democratic values, intrinsic value and constructive value, still hang in the air. Therefore, we need to revitalize the meaning and function of democracy in the framework of a trilogy of values that are intact and interrelated.

In this context, the elites need to realize that their statements and actions are long-term investments that have serious implications for the democratic process.

A choice of diction that is not in line with the principles of democracy would only stimulate and inspire the rejection of the democratic process among the grassroots. A Javanese proverb says, “Sapa nandur bakal ngunduh” (those who plant will harvest). It is now time for the elites to realize their mistakes with their series of statements that shaped public opinion – and that they have raised for a long time – that there were massive, structured and systematic election violations and fraud.

The trap of exoterism

What is deplorable is that the rejection of the election results, which led to anarchy and riots, occurred when most of those involved were fasting. Moreover, the masses were getting increasingly violent when facing the security officers when the jihad arguments against evil were deliberately spread by irresponsible parties.

It can be clearly seen here how religious reasoning is easily dragged into the vortex of political-power contests. The question is quo vadis Ramadan spirituality?

This is the result if Ramadan is still understood simply as exoteric fiqh matters: halal-haram, legal-void, harmonious requirements and in various other legal-symbolic dimensions. The spiritual messages of Ramadan cannot be transformed into civic virtues that govern shared life on the basis of the principles of justice, tolerance, law-abidance, harmony, peace, social empathy and the like. Most of them still interpret Ramadan worship simply as a ritual offering dedicated to God.

In reality, God does not need anything from human offerings; it is humans who need God. They forget that the main target of the restoration of Ramadan is the adherents themselves. If done correctly and wholeheartedly, Ramadan becomes the main madrassa for submerging all forms of the selfish gene, which negates the others and promotes the altruistic, productive and constructive qualities that exist in the individuality of the adherents. It is here that Ramadan worship has an existential detoxification function while rejuvenating shared virtue.

Esotericism of Ramadan

If properly derived, Ramadan worship has esoteric values that form a pious character both individually and in a public-social way at the same time. Withstanding hunger and thirst and not having sex during the day implies absolute obedience to God\'s commands or rules.

Observing self-restraint away from things that cancel fasting means self-discipline in not committing various forms of violations. Fasting also teaches fair play through the dispensation to forego fasting for reasons justified by syar\'i while observing it on another day.

Borrowing a term from Frithjof Schuon in his 1981 work, Esoterism as Principle and as Way, in each worship there is an esoteric dimension that functions to enrich, sharpen and cultivate the soul of the doers. With Ramadan, the humanitarian aspects of Muslims are more mature, established and perfect. Soul wealth becomes the climax and the epicenter of all forms of human worship.

The peak of the manifestation of the wealth of the soul is reflected in the profile of takwa (piety or muttaqin) as the purpose of fasting that was defined by Fazlur Rahman in 1981 as the conditioning of the human soul from various evil characteristics that can damage or endanger themselves and their environment.

Nevertheless, with the esotericism of Ramadan it does not mean that exoterism is not important; both must become the same breath. If exoterism is like clothes that cover the nakedness of the human body, esotericism has the role of instilling human authenticity in its complete understanding (insan kamil).

The formation of human authenticity takes place simultaneously, both at the individual and public-social level. Only in this way will the glow of the beauty of Ramadan be created and the desire to do damage and crimes against humanity can be prevented by itself.

Masdar Hilmy, Professor and Rector of Sunan Ampel State Islamic University, Surabaya